Hertha Berlin vs. Liverpool: probable line-ups, match stats and LIVE blog!

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Pal Dardai has wasted no time in strengthening his squad this summer with former Manchester City, Inter Milan and Sevilla forward Stevan Jovetic this week recruited after his contract's conclusion at French outfit Monaco. Jovetic joins Boateng, Davie Selke and Suat Serdar among the new arrivals in the German capital, while Dennis Jastrzembski and Arne Maier are back at the club following loan moves away last term. All but Maier - who is with Germany at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games - are in-line to feature in some capacity against the 2019/20 English Premier League champions in Austria and Jovetic may well be handed an immediate start in attack following the departure of Jhon Cordoba to Turkish outfit Krasnodar and injury to Krzysztof Piatek. Like Piatek, Rune Jarstein remains in Germany as he works his way back to full fitness, but Deyovaisio Zeefuik has travelled with the squad and could recover in time to also take the field at some stage.

The meeting with Hertha rounds off a Bundesliga reunion tour for Klopp, who has already tested his side against Stuttgart and Mainz in pre-season. Stuttgart clinched a 1-1 draw with the Liverpudlians, while Klopp's former club Mainz suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat. Klopp's is not the only familiar Bundesliga face in the Liverpool ranks with former RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate one of five players to have featured in the German top-flight. Lorius Karius (Mainz, Union Berlin), Naby Keita (Leipzig), Joel Matip (Schalke) and Divock Origi (Wolfsburg) complete the quintet, although ex-Hoffenheim man Roberto Firmino still recuperating following his Copa America exploits with Brazil.

Match stats

New signing Jovetic has scored 103 career goals, alongside 51 assists, in 365 appearances at club level.

The Montenegrin has met Liverpool twice previously, while at Fiorentina and Man City, scoring braces on each occasion to seal 2-0 and 3-1 victories in the UEFA Champions League and Premier League, respectively.

Boateng also has a perfect two-from-two record against Liverpool, ending up on the winning side of fixtures for both Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur during his time in England.

These two sides have never previously faced each other in a competitive fixture, but they have done in pre-season. In fact, the last time they played, in 2017, also fell on 29 - exactly four years ago to the day.

It took Klopp six attempts to chalk up his first victory as a coach over Hertha and his personal league record against the Berliners reads: P16, W6, D5, L5.

As a player, Klopp made 347 senior appearances in his homeland and scored 56 times before stepping into management. He went on to lift back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2010/11 and 2011/12, with Borussia Dortmund, as well as the DFB Cup in 2011/12 and German Supercup in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

Probable line-ups

Hertha: Schwolow - Klünter, Stark (c), M. Dardai, Plattenhardt - Ascacibar, Serdar - Lukebakio, Boateng, Dilrosun - Jovetic

Out: Jarstein (match fitness), Piatek (ankle)

Doubtful: Zeefuik (ankle)

Coach: Pal Dardai

Liverpool: Adrian - Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Phillips, Tsimikas - Keita, Milner (c), Oxlade-Chamberlain - Salah, Origi, Mane

Out: -

Doubtful: Gomez (match fitness)

Coach: Jürgen Klopp